The Rookie (manxmen)**Hothouse Book 1**

Chapter 30

Chapter 30

**A/N-Well my darlings, we have come to the end of another journey. It has been so gratifying to share Thad and Lance's story with you. I am glad that you guys have so enjoyed this story. Much love to you all, there will be an Epilogue to follow this chapter so look out for that. Once again, thank you to all my followers, fans, and readers. Please enjoy the music video by Train, "Marry Me." hint, hint...I thought it was appropriate, xoxo Dianna

(The fire trucks-------->)

"Nate, will you hurry the Hell up? If you make me miss any portion of Lance's speech you won't have to worry about your Dom beating your ass" I huffed as I pulled on the cuffs of my dress uniform as I impatiently waited for my brother to finish whatever the Hell it was he was doing in the bathroom. I swear if he made me late for Lance's first Commissioner's Ball and his speech, Mama was going to have one less son to deal with.

"Damn, keep your panties on, you know this shit never starts on time. Lance had to be here an hour early to do the whole press conference thing and what not, but we have hours to go before the party really gets going, do you really want to sit through all those boring speeches and long winded accolades?" Nate said as he walked back out to the sink area to wash his hands.

I just rolled my eyes at him and turned back around to the mirror to give myself one last once over before dragging Nate's ass out of the men's restroom. Why I let him talk me into getting ready at his house was news to me, he took forever to get dressed. Then he drove at a snails pace all the way across town to get to the Hotel where the Commissioner's's Ball was being held. The first one of Lance's new position. He is supposed to give his acceptance speech tonight too, in just a few minutes to be exact, and Nate is doing everything he can to make me miss it. I swear I felt like he was doing it on purpose. At every turn tonight, it's like he has been right on my heels dragging me backwards when I wanted to go forwards.

Finally, he finished washing his hands, why he needed me to escort him to the damn bathroom, I don't know, but he had insisted that I leave the ballroom to go with him. Why he didn't take one of his men...Then again, if he had left with Xavier, or worse with Robbie, it was likely that I wouldn't have seen either of them for the rest of the night. The horn dogs, I have learned to almost always try not to show up at Nate's house unannounced now since I got more than an eyeful going over there last week. I had used my key to open his door, my arms were loaded with pizza and beer and Lord knows, never again. The sight of my brother and Robbie on their knees, bound with their arms cuffed behind their backs, and but naked while they serviced Xavier's impressive cock was enough to have me all hot and bothered and totally embarrassed at the same time.

I left as quickly as I had arrived, and I had hightailed it over to Mommy's house, she wasn't home when I got there, so Henri had a chance to enjoy his pizza and beer in peace before she came home, took one whiff left behind by the pizza spices, and began to go on about Henri's arteries clogging up and increasing his life insurance policy because he wouldn't take care of himself by eating properly. I loved my step father to death, but I had removed myself from the house as quickly as I possibly could while she was in mid rant. I knew I was next in line to incur her wrath as the traitor who kept funneling contraband food into the house, so I slipped away while she was focused on her husband.

Now back in the ballroom and seated with the rest of my crew, I drew a deep breath as I tried to settle all the emotions that were churning in my gut. I was so excited and proud of Lance for being one of the youngest ever to make the prestigious status of Fire Commissioner. He was going to be thirty-seven on his next birthday and without a doubt he ran circles around all of us. Keeping up with him was a real challenge whether it was on the job with all the guys or in our personal relationship, in the bedroom. But I would happily die trying to keeping up with man. I was also horny as hell, and I was sort of hoping that since tonight was kind of special, we would be able to celebrate on our own in private later on. I have been cleared to go back to work on Monday after the Doctors gave me a clean bill of health a yesterday. Lance had refused to do anything more than sporadic hand jobs or blow jobs on his part, never letting me return the favor, or going any further than that. I was more than ready to be with him, to feel him claiming me all over again.